Dual Degrees
Attending Duke Law School gives you the opportunity to pursue two world-class degrees at once and prepare yourself for a career at the intersection of law and another discipline. Choose from one of our three most popular programs – the JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law, the JD/LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship, or the JD/MA in Bioethics and Science Policy – or combine a JD with a graduate degree in business administration, environmental management, medicine, public policy, or divinity.
With more graduate students than undergraduates, Duke University has a tradition of interdisciplinary teaching and is uniquely focused on the needs of students who are engaged at the highest levels of academic study and research. Nearly 15 percent of our JD students pursue another graduate degree, generally saving a full year of study that would otherwise be required if they earned their two degrees consecutively. Dual degree programs are intense, but the benefits are plentiful: You’ll satisfy all your intellectual interests and earn a second Duke degree.
Duke is an innovative institution that has bridged the barriers to cross-disciplinary collaboration. A dual degree lets you tap into the amazing intellectual energy here, and discover synergies with the law and your legal education.
Which dual degree is right for you?
| JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law | JD/LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship | JD/MA in Bioethics and Science Policy | |
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Purpose
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Prepare for a career in the increasingly international practice of law, whether you plan to work in the U.S. or abroad, in private practice, a business, or the public sector |
Meet a growing need within the legal and business communities for lawyers who can creatively counsel and lead early-stage ventures and other innovative companies |
Learn how to identify, analyze, and propose solutions to myriad complex issues at the intersection of science, technology, ethics, and policy |
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First-year classes
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Develop specialized knowledge and skills by taking International Law and Research Methods in International, Foreign and Comparative Law during your first year |
Take Business Associations in your first year to build a foundation for coursework in business and policy. Follow it by learning how to counsel startups during an exclusive summer intensive |
Get an introduction to issues of bioethics and science policy by taking Foundations of Bioethics during second semester of your first year |
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Exclusive programs
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Upper-level seminar devoted to late-breaking issues and in-depth case studies |
Second-year seminar on current issues in entrepreneurship and priority enrollment in the Start-Up Ventures Clinic |
Join the Journal of Law and the Biosciences, a co-venture between Duke Law School, Harvard Law School, and Stanford University |
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Summer experiences
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An international internship, followed by the four-week summer institute in The Hague |
Travel to an entrepreneurial ecosystem, connecting classroom experience to real-world practice |
Capstone project during summer after first year |
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Networking opportunities
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Tap into a global alumni community located in 80 countries around the world willing to share their experience and network as well as mentor Duke Law students |
Engage with local, national, and international entrepreneurs, lawyers, executives, and investors during the summer immersion and throughout the academic year |
Participate in the Science, Law & Policy Lab (SLAPLAB), an interdisciplinary laboratory of faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergrads working together on shared research projects and publications |
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Employment outcomes
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Recent employers include:
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Recent employers include:
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Recent employers include:
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| Learn more about the JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law | Learn more about the JD/LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship | Learn more about the JD/MA in Bioethics and Science Policy |